From the Inferno, Into Redemption
by Caledus the Immortal
Summary: I did not die, and yet I did not live. I thought that Paradise awaited the end of my pilgrimage...but I was wrong. Have I lost my place in Paradise, or does the Lord merely desire more from me before I stand in Heaven?
1. I Did Not Die

Redemption

Introduction

I Did Not Die…

"_NO!"_

Lucifer screamed in defiance, defeat, and anger as the fists of his prison body were jammed into the ice of Judecca. The frozen tears of Cocytus crept up his forearms, covering them up to the massive elbows. The swarm of absolved souls swept across his body and to the center of the demonic circle before him, crashing with a relieved cry into the cool blue hemisphere at its middle.

For a time, Dante did nothing but look up to the enemy of all that is good in the universe. Lucifer could only stare at his new shackles in disbelief.

A lone man stood before the treacherous, trapped beast. He had once been living, and was no longer. He was destined to die, but had not yet done so. Dante stood at the epicenter of the demonic circle and the portal in the middle of it. He said nothing, and did not even glance at Lucifer as the devil glared daggers down at him. He gripped the scythe and cross in his hands.

The blue floor flashed white…and Dante knew no more…

* * *

><p>Everfree Forest was thickening. The zebra could feel it.<p>

It was the middle of the day, and yet the canopy blocked the sun. It seemed as though the trees themselves glowered at her, and not a single animal could be heard. Something was here…something that did not belong.

Zecora kept a calm face, calling upon all of her meditative training. Inside, however, she was perilously close to losing control. The feeling of darkness, of thickening, and of not belonging, was all too familiar…terrifyingly familiar.

The robed mare kept walking. Just a few more herbs…just a few more herbs…just a few more…and then she could get home…just a few-

Her head snapped to one side, glowing eyes narrowing in the general direction of a bush. Was that?...No, she was seeing things. There was nothing there. It couldn't be…

_Rustle._

She stopped, freezing at once with wide eyes. No foliage had moved, but the sound was unmistakable…something _was _here.

To heck with those herbs! Time to go home…now!

The zebra turned and walked at a brisk pace, valiantly fighting the panic that attempted to take over.

Another rustle.

Her pace increased as sweat began to bead on her brow. This was not good…not good _at all_. It couldn't be, could it? Not here, not now, not after so long!

A branch snapped.

Zecora would have broken off into a galloping run if not for the fact that the sound was emitted from the bush right in front of her. The zebra's knees began to tremble. A figure rose from the bush, beginning to step into the clearing.

"No," the zebra whispered, taking a step back.

The thing was tall, at least twice her height. Metal covered its shoulders, head, and legs, while cloths wrapped its arms and dangled below its wrists. Its head could not be seen in the darkness, but Zecora's eyes were focused solely on the object it held.

It was a blade. The hilt looked to be made from a dragon's spine, while a skull adorned the flat of the curved, serrated, wickedly sharp blade.

"_Kuondoka, pepo!_" the zebra shouted, absolutely terrified. She turned tail and took off at a full sprint, not caring that she dropped the basket of rare herbs in the process.

Her heart pounded and tears burned in her eyes. How? How could it be happening again? Why was this happening? She had turned her back years ago! Why did it keep coming back to haunt her!

Meanwhile, Dante stared at the rapidly retreating bundle of robes that had just shouted at him and turned tail with a look of utter confusion. The thing obviously wasn't a demon. In fact, up until it yelled at him and ran away, he thought it was some kind of horse…

He gave a shrug and looked up at his surroundings. There was no point in running after it, especially in a forest like this. Who knows what lurked h-

A sound pierced the human's ears. It was faint, coming from very far away. No normal human could have heard the sound at such a distance…

Dante left any notion of normal behind a long time ago…

* * *

><p><em>Bad idea…bad idea…<em>really _bad idea!_

A yellow pegasus backed into the large, ominous tree behind her.

She knew now that going into Everfree Forest alone was a bad idea, but she knew the place like the back of her hoof, especially in the middle of the afternoon. She thought that the section of the Dark Woods she needed to cross would be small enough to-

The manticore gave a weird, braying roar that combined the voice of a sheep and a lion. Fluttershy's scream seemed to have only angered the beast somehow. The pegasus shook from head to hoof, tears welling up in her eyes as she hoped valiantly for someone, _anyone_, to come.

Pssh. This far into Everfree? In the Dark Woods? No one was going t-

A pained yelp forced her eyes open. The manticore was in pain? How?

Her tear streaked eyes went wide as dinner plates as she saw the beast. It was reared up, with a wicked, evil-looking blade hooked on its throat. Standing on its back was a…thing. She had never seen anything like it. It held the obviously deadly weapon in two appendages not dissimilar to Spike's, but covered with metal.

Harsh, and yet caring, eyes met Fluttershy's.

"Close your eyes," the thing commanded in a harsh voice that made the shy pony cringe.

"B-b-but…"

"Now!"

She obeyed. Her squint tightened painfully from the sound that she heard not a second later. Her shuddering gave way to knee-clicking quakes. The sound was just…_horrible. _Tearing, snapping, crunching, the thing's grunts of effort, and, above all, the manticore's withering scream and the sound of sloshing liquid.

Then it was silent.

Fluttershy was frightened. She knew what had probably transpired, but tried desperately not to think about it. She could not, however, stop the unadulterated fear of the creature to enter her mind. It had obviously killed the manticore in a way that was inconceivable to the poor pegasus' innocent mind. If it was callous, and powerful, enough to do such a thing to the monster, just what did it have planned for her?

She skittered back at the sound of landing metal feet. The pegasus collapsed in a heap on the ground, shaking. Her breath hitched when she felt the cool touch of metal on her head.

"Peace," a quiet, soothing voice said. "You are safe now."

Fluttershy slowly opened her eyes. Her hair lifted out of the way as she looked up to the creature's face.

The spiked crown and metal links around his head were fearsome, and his face alien, his expression stirred wonder in the pegasus' mind.

His eyes were fierce and feral, the look of one ready to kill at a glance. Yet behind it was a hint of sorrow, of regret, of care, and above all…pure and utter sadness. But it was the concern on the surface that caught her attention. She had learned a long time ago to read eyes. She had to, since animals couldn't talk to her.

She saw genuine concern in his eyes. He wouldn't hurt her…_couldn't_ hurt her.

"You are unharmed?" he asked. The pegasus nodded, beginning to calm somewhat. The creature looked around, listening and watching. "We must leave this place before that monster's pack finds us."

Fluttershy gasped. That's right! Manticores travelled in packs, and there's no way this one's brethren didn't hear the struggle.

"Can you walk?" he said to her a little gruffly. The pegasus tried to stand, but she shook too much. She wasn't meant to be this scared…

She uttered a startled squeak as two strong arms scooped her up, holding her up above the ground and to the creature's chest, unwittingly pinning her wings. But then she halted her struggling after a moment, realizing what he just did.

"Do you know the way to the nearest settlement?" he asked gently. Fluttershy blushed a bit as she felt his chest rumble with each syllable. Looking up to him, she nodded and pointed with a hoof. She cringed as the being immediately sprinted in the indicated direction, metal clinking and clicking all over him as he ran.

Fluttershy looked up into his eyes again, barely visible since he was looking forward. She saw only one thing…determination.

The pegasus found herself relaxing in the creature's arms, ignoring the sweeping of passing trees and the clink of metal. It was inexplainable, but for some reason, she felt…safe…

_'Ello chaps. ^^ Hope you enjoy this. I've never written anything like this before, so I thought I'd take a stab at it. Reviews are welcome._


	2. Unto Ease From Hardship

From the Inferno, Into Redemption

Chapter 1

Unto Ease, From Hardship

The door slammed shut.

Zecora stood against it on her hind legs as though holding it shut against an intruder. Her narrow chest heaved and her eyes, bloodshot from fearful crying, were wide.

Slowly, however, she calmed. She dropped the robe and went down to four hooves again. The zebra's breathing no longer raced, but it still quivered as she walked slowly from the door, glancing nervously out the solitary window of her home.

The forest outside looked anything but friendly.

Zecora dropped the basket of herbs and plants without ceremony and collapsed on her humble bed in a shivering heap, not daring to open her eyes.

That creature…it looked familiar. She had seen ones like it only once…and had prayed ever since that day that she would not see them again. Why had _he _come back? That chapter of her life was closed!

…or so she thought.

But wait. That being did not look the same. The…_things _she had seen before never wore as much metal as the creature in the forest. Nor did they hesitate to seek her out…for what, she refused to contemplate.

That one, though, had not threatened her, chased her, or otherwise react negatively to her. Could it be that…?

Thunder boomed outside, and rain pattered against the roof.

Zecora halted any further thoughts with a whimper as she buried herself in the bed.

* * *

><p>Patience was a virtue…and this creature apparently had a lot of it.<p>

The gaggle of ponies around him bombarded him with questions, as well as Fluttershy. Though she attempted to answer, she merely found herself interrupted with three more at the utterance of a single word. She was not annoyed, though. It was a rare thing for the yellow pegasus to become angry with her friends.

A complete stranger, on the other hand…

Yet the being merely sat there, his legs crossed in what seemed to be a meditative position. His eyes were closed serenely, and his face bore not a single ounce of negative feeling.

His calm pose meant that Fluttershy nearly jumped out of her skin, as did the other ponies, when he clapped both hands on his knees, producing a metallic _clang _that silenced everyone.

All eyes were riveted on him. His gaze was cold as ice as he raked his eyes over each of the present party in turn, though it noticeably softened when it got to Fluttershy.

"Questions. One. At. A. Time," he commanded in a steel voice. The ponies flinched at each word. Then his tone softened with the final word. "Please."

The four legged persons present immediately sat. For a moment, they all seemed afraid to utter a peep. Then, a purple hoof slowly reached into the air.

"U-um…" Twilight stuttered for a moment, her expression unsure. She winced when the being's baleful gaze turned to her. But she gathered a bit of courage and continued. "Who are you?"

"I am Dante," he said simply. His gaze was still hard, but not irritated. His voice was sullen, but calm.

"Ok, Dante," Applejack drawled from next to Twilight. She looked steadily at the creature: obviously intimidated but determined not to show it. "So just where didja come from? How'd y'get here?"

The man's eyes darkened as memories flashed behind them. Hellish storms, a city of fire, the lake of frozen tears, the rain of human waste…those were no part of an answer he could give. Not yet, at least.

Why couldn't he? Well, that much was simple. This world, obviously not his own, was vastly different from the mortal plane he was born in. The creatures here seemed…peaceful. Hardship was nearly unheard of. They worked hard and asked for little in return. They gave freely and were not in want, and yet did not behave with Greed or Gluttony. Anger and Violence were known to them, but horrified their minds from the notion.

Above all was what he sensed from them. Their souls were…well, not pure, but certainly more so than any human could ever hope to be. Dante never did find out how he could sense that, but being neither dead nor alive likely contributed.

Dante jerked back to reality, seeing the multicolored group of small horses waiting for his answer. He shook his head with a sigh.

"That is not something you want to know," he murmured.

The behatted pony looked at him oddly. "If ah didn't wanna know, ah wouldn'ta asked. Where're you from?"

He looked calmly at the group. First at the cyan pegasus, who maintained an aura of mild hostility and suspicion, then the purple one, curious and a little scared, then the yellow one (Fluttershy, if he remembered correctly), who looked at him, worried about his suddenly more dour demeanor, then the white one, who merely rubbed her chin thoughtfully with a hoof. She seemed to be sizing him up, though for what, Dante didn't know.

"Believe me when I say this," he said in a slightly quivering voice, dark memories haunting the back of his mind. "You do not want to know."

Before the country pony could answer, something slammed into Dante's chest, knocking him to his back with a startled cry. He reached for his cross, visions of the damned tearing at him fresh in his mind…but froze when he finally saw what was sitting on his chest.

It was smiling at him…it was friendly…it had very puffy hair…and it was very _pink._

The new arrival sucked in a big breath.

What followed next could only be described as a single word...that's all it was. Dante thought he heard some questions in there, but the excitable pony managed to cram several sentences into one word.

With that, she fell silent and stared at him with a big, goofy smile, practically shaking with anticipation and glee. The other ponies stared at the duo with an expression of mute horror, especially Fluttershy.

Their relief was palpable when Dante gave a rumbling laugh, sitting up with Pinkie Pie in his arms.

"Is she the excitable one you told me of?" He asked with a chuckle. If anything, the ponies seemed twice as unnerved by his mirth as with his stoicism. His laughter and smiles were welcome things, of course, but never before had they seen a creature so obviously unused to them. Equestria was a place that practically consisted only of smiles and laughter most of the time. What could Dante have gone through to rob him of his own familiarity with pleasantness?

Twilight answered the man's question with a nervous affirmative while Pinkie Pie jumped around in circles around him, chanting something about cupcakes.

Dante gave the pink embodiment of excitement an amused glance as she passed in front of him, but his face became slightly more serious as a question came to mind. He put it forth to the purple unicorn, who seemed to be the intellectual of the bunch.

She frowned thoughtfully. "Well…gosh, I guess I never thought of that. Where _are _you going to stay?" She looked to her companions.

The white one, Rarity immediately piped up. "Oh darling, that's easy. I have an extra room at my place." She pointed with a hoof and a grimace at Dante. "It will make it much easier to make some proper clothing for you, so you don't have to keep wearing that…that…_dreadful _thing."

Twilight grimaced. That wouldn't end well. Rarity meant well, but her fashion sense could get a bit…overwhelming for people.

"Actually," Twilight interjected. "I think the library would be better. I have plenty of extra rooms, and…" She trailed off sheepishly.

Dante looked at the group. Rarity seemed a bit put off, Applejack impassive, Rainbow Dash no less suspicious, and Pinkie stood her ground, literally quivering with barely bridled excitement.

He did not see, however, any objection. He nodded in agreement.

* * *

><p>"Twilight, is that you? Twilight! Where did you-?...uh…uh…"<p>

The small purple dragon who had run into the room excitedly, carrying a scroll in his claws, skidded to a halt, his eyes going wide as he looked up…and up…and up…

Dante gave a friendly smile, making him look somewhat less threatening.

"You must be Spike," he said in a curiously rough voice, almost like a dragon's. Spike gulped before nodding nervously.

"B-big…" the dragon said numbly.

"It's ok Spike, he's friendly," the infinitely smaller, four legged being standing next to him offered, though somewhat uncertain. She didn't want to make her little friend even more afraid, but there was something about Dante that was decidedly…unfriendly.

"…Big…" The awestruck dragon repeated, his wide, bulging eyes still focused on Dante's face. The man gave a not-so-frustrated shake of his head before stepping inside, ducking through the small, pony-sized doorway. His metal shoes clacked on the hard floor as he gave the entranced dragon a worried look. His silver-covered hand waved in front of the firebreathing lizard, but to no effect.

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Don't worry about him, he'll be fine. Just follow me. I think I have a place where you can stay…well, for a few nights, at least…"

As the pony's talking and human's clanking receeded, the dumbstruck dragon slowly raised a claw, pointing to where Dante stood a moment before.

"…Big…"

The moon shined through the open window.

* * *

><p>Dante sat at the edge of his bed, which his host had (thankfully) enlarged to fit him. He'd seen the process, and at once feared that the magic of demons had taken root here, but no darkness radiated from Twilight's pure intentions. Nor did the laughter of Dis fill his mind. Whatever it was, it was not the Dark Power of Lucifer.<p>

Just what was this place? Talking horses. Creatures that belonged in the realm of fantasy. The conscious use of the supernatural…and yet not a hint of Lucifer's touch. Above all was the sense of…of…ease…

The human gave a sigh, drinking in the quiet sounds of crickets and the fresh, pure air. It was a far cry from Paradise, but Dante was obviously blessed with being dumped here instead of being forever trapped in Hell. Every living thing on this world, whether animal or person, living or nonliving, seemed to project a sense of peace.

How could this be? How had this come about? These "ponies", for all their peace, seemed completely ignorant of the battle of cosmic proportions being waged over the fate of creation…and every soul within it. It was as though they were untouched by it completely. Was there an angel who protected this place from the gibbering demons below?

But that and other questions would have to wait until tomorrow. Regardless that he existed outside of life now, waging war against Hell and going to another world was quite tiring.

He lay his bare back against the soft, welcoming covers. His head lay against the cool, welcoming pillow. His eyes, for the first time in a long time, an eternity almost, curled into a contented smile. Thank the Lord for this place! This place, and all in it, was like a Fountain of Vitality.

As his aching body surrendered to the soft, angelic touch of welcome, life-giving sleep, one last question flitted through Dante's mind. It was mildly troubling, but he was too far gone. It's impact could not register before he entered the blessed halls of dreams.

_Why do I sense a soul divid__ed: existing here, but tethered to the moon…?_


End file.
